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ERIC T. JOHNSON
Herbie Nichols, Vol. 1 (Summit)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Pianist Herbie Nichols was something of a puzzle. Here was a guy who had an amazing style on the keys and could swing like crazy or hunker down and create stunning hard bop, but he spent most of his time playing with Dixieland bands he was, frankly, drastically overqualified for. As a composer, he often wrote for larger jazz bands but had to settle for recording the songs in trio format. Some of his songs made it out into the spotlight he himself never quite got to stand in, "Lady Sings The Blues" being one of the most notable. Fortunately, many of those trio recordings of his compositions were released on Blue Note, and after his tragic death from leukemia in 1963, he began to develop the kind of following he should have had while he was alive. (Why is it that we consider death a talent and often won't consider an artist legit enough to explore until they prove themselves in that category?)
Among the many musicians fascinated and/or influenced by the compositions of Herbie Nichols is a guitarist named Eric T. Johnson (no relation to the blues/rock guitarist from Texas). While the Herbie Nichols Project has done spectacular work finally bringing Nichols' compositions to a larger band format, Johnson has gone a different route, keeping the settings small. "It Didn't Happen" sounds fantastic in its slight shift from piano trio to quintet, with Bob Nieske (bass), Nat Mugavero (drums), Phil Grenadier (trumpet), George Garzone (saxophone) and beautifully subtle guitar work by Johnson. In many of the tunes, there are stretches where it's just guitar, bass and drums, a reflection of Nichols' trio setting with, it seems, the possibilities more thoroughly explored. The map was there, but it doesn't feel like it ever came out quite right, or that he bothered to fix it when it didn't. This album gives you a taste of what Herbie Nichols could do and what talented jazz musicians who fully understand their craft can do with special compositions.
Track List:
It Didn't Happen * Love, Gloom, Cash, Love * Furthermore * Lady Sings the Blues * Crisp Day * Every Cloud * Dance Line * Step Tempest * Chit Chatting * Shuffle Montgomery
© 2003 - DJ Johnson